Noodlehead Divided Basket in Cotton and Steel Menagerie Canvas

You can never have enough storage bins– it’s a scientific fact. The Divided Basket pattern by Anna Graham’s Noodlehead Patterns is a soft and flexible bin with a divider panel in the middle to help you organize small items. I knew as soon as I saw the Menagerie Jungle Canvas from Cotton and Steel’s latest Rifle Paper Co. collection it had to be a children’s book basket. After my success with the Poolside Tote, I couldn’t wait to get started!

I opted for the pocketless version of the basket to best show off the large-scale print without interruption.

I sewed the entire basket on the Janome Skyline S7, and I can’t even begin to describe how much easier AccuFeed made the process– at one point, I was sewing through canvas, 2 layers of linen, Soft and Stable, and webbing all at the same time, and the machine hummed along like it was nothing. If your machine doesn’t have AccuFeed, definitely use a walking food to help keep all the layers smooth and feeding through the machine at the same rate. Wonder Clips instead of pins are also a big help for holding all layers in place.

The Divided Basket is overall a real cinch to sew, the only complicated part being the divider– even then, go slowly, read the directions throughly, and have a seam ripper nearby. Once you’ve sewn in the divider, you understand the construction and the second basket you make (trust me, you’ll want dozens) will be even easier. All the instructions are clear and easy to follow, and the steps are very logical. The only part I had trouble with was keeping my topstitching straight, but changing to a 1/4″ foot helped immensely.

If you’re looking for a soft storage bin pattern, the Divided Basket is a great option. I’d rate the skill level for this pattern as confident beginner– it’s easy at the start and finish, and just challenging enough in the middle to build up your skills. It’s really fun to get to work with some substrates like canvas and linen (the pattern works with regular quilting cotton too) and doesn’t use a lot of fabric. Wouldn’t this make the best gift for a child’s birthday, pre-loaded with a few good books?